How can a commercial drone dealer offer customer financing?
A commercial drone dealer can offer customer financing by joining one of Five West’s free partner tiers and showing an estimated monthly payment next to the price on every quote. Your buyer applies, we underwrite and fund the deal, and you’re paid the full invoice. This guide covers drone dealer financing for inspection, mapping, thermal and public safety kits: what those kits list for, what the payments look like, and what a deal file needs.
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Why do enterprise drone buyers ask about financing?
Because a real inspection or public safety setup costs a lot more than the aircraft. By the time a buyer adds a thermal payload, spare batteries, a charging case, a dock, flight software and a couple of days of training, a $15,000 kit can turn into a $60,000 invoice. Few roofing, utility, solar or security companies want to pay that out of operating cash.
A monthly figure changes the conversation. An inspection company can set $400 or $500 a month against the jobs the drone will fly, and that’s a much easier yes than a five-figure check. It also means the buyer doesn’t have to cut the payload or the training to fit a budget.
What does an enterprise drone kit cost?
Here are list prices for one maker’s public safety and inspection line, taken from a 2025 Skydio price sheet for a public-agency purchasing contract. They show how fast the extras pile up around the aircraft:
| Item | What the sheet says is included | List price (MSRP) |
|---|---|---|
| Skydio X10 Ready Kit with the VT300-L sensor package | Aircraft, enterprise controller, case, three batteries, dual charger, perpetual software license | $15,662 |
| Skydio X10 Patrol-Led DFR Kit | X10 Ready Kit with VT300-Z sensor, NightSense IR attachment, spotlight and speaker | $20,231 |
| Skydio X10 Dock Bundle with VT300-L | Dock, external radio, X10 aircraft with sensor package, two dock batteries | $53,829 |
| Skydio Dock for X10 DFR Kit | Dock bundle with VT300-Z sensor, NightSense IR attachment, spotlight and speaker | $57,744 |
| Skydio X10 In-Person Training | Two days, classroom and field, up to four students | $9,000 |
| Skydio Dock for X10 In-Person Training | Three days, classroom and field, up to four students | $11,000 |
| Skydio Battery for X10 | One spare battery | $369 |
Listed prices we found, checked November 7, 2026, not appraisals or offers. These come from the MSRP column of a 2025 Skydio price sheet for a public-agency purchasing contract, so today’s prices may differ, and a business buyer’s price may not match. Shipping isn’t included. Five West has no affiliation with Skydio, and the brand is just an example: we finance commercial drones from many makers.
Look at the gap between the first row and the third. Adding a dock to the same aircraft family more than triples the ticket, and that’s before deployment or training. Mapping kits climb the same way once LiDAR and processing software are added (see our LiDAR mapping drone guide).
What payment can a drone dealer show on a quote?
Show the price, an estimated payment and the term, and label it an estimate. A quick rule of thumb: each $10,000 financed is about $457 a month over 24 months or $318 over 36, for an established business with nothing down. Here’s how four kits from the table work out:
| Example amount | 36 months | 48 months |
|---|---|---|
| $15,662: X10 Ready Kit with the VT300-L sensor package | $498 | $390 |
| $32,800: two X10 Ready Kits plus four spare batteries | $1,043 | $816 |
| $53,829: X10 Dock Bundle with VT300-L | $1,712 | $1,340 |
| $62,829: X10 Dock Bundle plus two-day X10 training | $1,998 | $1,564 |
Estimates for an established business (two or more years in business) on an equipment finance agreement, nothing down. These are examples, not quotes. Real payments depend on credit, the equipment and the term. Training is included on qualifying transactions.
Why stop at 48 months? Our commercial drone financing page says aircraft and sensors improve quickly, so a 24 to 48 month term usually fits better than the longest one available. I’d put the 36-month number on the quote first and offer 48 to the buyer who wants a lower payment. An equipment finance agreement can run 24 to 84 months, and a lease 24 to 60 months with a $1, 10% or fair market value buyout. A fair market value lease gives the buyer an upgrade path when the next sensor comes out, and qualifying leases can add equipment mid-term.
Your reps can run any price through the Quote Builder with no credit pull. Keep it to estimates, and never promise an approval.
How does a drone reseller offer financing through Five West?
Pick one of the three tiers on our partner programs page. Each one is free to the vendor, with no setup fee and no monthly fee, and each starts with a 90-day trial period. What changes is the monthly application volume:
- 3rd Party Financing: no minimum. Nothing to build and nothing to sign. Send buyers to support@fivewestfinancial.com or to a named contact we assign you. You get a dedicated finance rep.
- Co-Branded: $100k minimum in monthly application volume, a 90-day trial and one deal funded per quarter. Your logo goes on a payment calculator and a financing page we build, and you get the apply-online link for your site, ongoing training, 100% funding upfront on orders and the Partner Portal.
- Private Label: $500k minimum in monthly application volume, under a partner program agreement. It adds a customer finance program built under your brand, CRM integration, sales meeting sponsorships and trade show support. Have your attorney read the agreement before you sign.
Selling a handful of enterprise kits a quarter? Start on 3rd Party Financing and move up later.
On Co-Branded and Private Label, the Partner Portal lets your reps follow each deal from application to funding and send in a customer from a phone. Any dealer can also add a free payment widget to its product pages, so a buyer looking at a dock bundle sees a monthly estimate right there.
And getting paid? After your buyer signs and the equipment is delivered and accepted, Five West pays you 100% of the invoice on funding, which can come in as little as 24 to 48 hours after signing. Our guide to setting up a dealer financing program walks through rollout and rep training.
What can go on one drone invoice?
Pretty much the whole package. Our drone page lists commercial UAV platforms, thermal and inspection cameras, LiDAR and mapping payloads, surveying and photogrammetry kits, ground stations and controllers, batteries and charging systems, and fleet packages. Software licenses can be added, and that includes mapping software. A license bought with the aircraft is fine; for a yearly or renewing subscription, such as DFR software, ask us. A rugged field laptop can go on too, as long as it’s on your invoice.
Soft costs like delivery, installation, training and warranties can be included on qualifying transactions. The total is usually around 20% of the equipment amount, depending on credit and collateral, so treat that as a guide and not a promise. Dock deployment and site setup packages are a separate question, so ask us before you build one into the payment.
The usual minimum is about $15,000, and it counts the whole bundle. A single compact aircraft might land under that, but add the payload, spare batteries, the charger and training, and most enterprise kits get there. One catch: a financed piece and a leased piece need two agreements, though the minimum still counts on the total. Our thermal drone financing guide is a good one to hand an inspection buyer.
What does a commercial drone deal file need?
Less than most dealers expect. Send:
- A copy of the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Five West needs it on every drone deal. If the pilot is an employee rather than the owner, whose certificate goes in the file depends on the approval, so ask.
- An itemized quote, with separate lines for the aircraft, payload, batteries, charging gear, dock, software, laptop and training.
- The buyer’s business name and contact. Your buyer fills out the application, and we underwrite it from there.
- For a used or demo unit, the flight hours, battery cycles and whether the maker still supports the platform.
Clean application-only files can be approved in as little as 30 minutes. Bigger or more complicated deals need a full financial package. When a file is borderline, we look at more money down, a shorter term or a different program before it’s declined, and if it can’t be placed, we’ll say so plainly so your rep can move on.
Can police and fire departments finance drones?
Yes. Our drone page says public agencies can use a tax-exempt lease-purchase instead, and our municipal leasing page explains how that works. Send any police or fire department buyer there, or bring us in early on the quote.
Private security companies and inspection firms buying the same drones go on our standard programs.
Can buyers finance used or demo drones?
Yes. A demo unit or a trade-in from your shelf can be financed much like a new one. There is no age limit, though older equipment can be tougher to get done. Used aircraft are underwritten on flight hours, battery cycles and whether the manufacturer still supports the platform, and an older drone will typically get a shorter term than a new one.
With good credit, you usually don’t need a down payment, even on used equipment. A buyer purchasing a used kit from another operator can be financed too. The lien search is part of the file, the funds go to the seller directly, and the buyer’s attorney should look over the bill of sale.
What if the buyer is a brand-new drone business?
It can work, but leave the monthly payment off the quote for any business under two years old. A company less than a year old is underwritten as a startup, and the programs we place these deals with typically look for 700+ personal credit, documented experience in the work the drone will do, working capital left after the purchase, and usually some money down. The Part 107 copy is still required.
Signed or pending work, like an inspection contract, makes the file stronger than a business plan on its own. Point those buyers to our drone equipment financing guide, and remind anyone asking about Section 179 to talk with their CPA.
Frequently asked questions
How does a commercial drone dealer offer financing?
Join a Five West partner tier and put an estimated monthly payment on each quote. All three tiers are free to the vendor, and Five West underwrites, approves and funds each deal.
What does a drone dealer financing program cost the dealer?
Nothing. Every Five West tier is free to the vendor, with no setup fee and no monthly fee. The upper tiers ask for application volume instead: a $100k monthly minimum for Co-Branded and a $500k monthly minimum for Private Label, each after a 90-day trial period, and Co-Branded also asks for one funded deal per quarter.
Can a drone dock and software go on the same agreement?
Yes. The aircraft, payload, dock, batteries, chargers and software licenses, including mapping software, can go on one agreement. A rugged field laptop can be included if it is on the dealer’s invoice, and soft costs such as training can be added on qualifying transactions.
Is there a minimum for financing an enterprise drone?
The usual minimum is about $15,000, counted on the whole invoice, so the payload, batteries and training count toward it.
Does every drone deal need a Part 107 certificate?
Yes. Five West needs a copy of the operator’s FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate on every drone deal. When the pilot is an employee, whose certificate goes in the file depends on the approval.
Can a police department finance drones through a dealer?
Yes. Police and fire departments can use a tax-exempt lease-purchase instead. Private security and inspection companies go on standard programs.
When does the dealer get paid?
On funding. After the buyer signs and the equipment is delivered and accepted, Five West pays the dealer 100% of the invoice.
Got a drone kit priced out?
Send the itemized quote and the Part 107 copy with one short application. Want financing on every quote instead? The partner application takes about 10 minutes.
This article is general information about offering customer financing on commercial drones, not tax, legal or accounting advice or a commitment to finance. Prices shown are list prices from public pages on the date checked, not appraisals or offers. Example payments are estimates for an established business with no money down; actual terms and payments depend on credit approval, the equipment and the structure. All financing is subject to credit approval and underwriting.